When Vassar students crave a culinary change of pace, the Busy Bee Café provides a simple yet elegant solution. The Café, only about a ten-minute drive from campus, features a variety of American and European cuisine.

Though the restaurant is small with only about a dozen tables, it is almost always packed. The crowd is diverse—people of all ages, races and backgrounds seem to gather to talk and enjoy a meal. I once went there with my friends and observed a table with an elderly Hasidic Jew, a teenage African American girl, and a middle-aged Hispanic reverend. The restaurant is plain but cozy, and definitely amenable to deep, quiet conversations among friends and strangers.

Owner Debbie DiDomenico is always busy, as her restaurant’s name suggests, but never too busy to stop by each table, pour customers some water and ask about their meals.

Steak is my meal of choice at the Busy Bee. They have several varieties, but the grilled fillet minion is certainly my favorite. Tender, juicy and sweet, their steak is absolutely perfect; better than either Babycakes or the Beech Tree. Dessert is another specialty here; they have several exquisite chocolate cakes, along with fancy tarts and pies. Delicious.

The price might be prohibitive for many students. Appetizers run between $7 and $11 and entrees between $10 and $30. Dessert is another $10. But for special occasions, the Busy Bee Café is a great place for some excellent food and excellent conversation.

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